Nepeta plant named ‘Cat&#39;s Meow’

ABSTRACT

The new and distinct hardy perennial Catmint plant,  Nepeta  ‘Cat&#39;s Meow’ has a low growing, short and compact habit with upright and slightly decumbent stems. The foliage is intermediate is size and serrate. The flowers are sky-blue with persistent smoky-purple calyces.

Botanical classification: Nepeta faassenii.

Varietal denomination: ‘Cat's Meow’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The new variety of Catmint, Nepeta ‘Cat's Meow’, was selected by KevinA. Hurd from seed collected on Jul. 28, 2009 from Nepeta faassenii‘Walker's Low’ (not patented). The pollen parent is unknown. The plantwas originally given the breeder code of K9-07-02 and first evaluated inthe summer of 2010, approved in final evaluation in the summer of 2011and slated for later introduction. The new plant was selected based onthe larger flowers, long blooming and compact traits. The new plant hasbeen asexually propagated at a wholesale nursery in Zeeland, Mich. bytip cuttings with the resultant plants remaining identical to theoriginal plant, stable and true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Nepeta ‘Cat's Meow’ is different from its parents and all other Cat Mintknown to the inventor. In comparison to the female parent ‘Walker's Low’the new plant is considerably shorter and more compact. The nearestcomparison variety is Nepeta ‘Novanepjun’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,074.‘Cat's Meow’ is taller and more sprawling in habit than ‘Novanepjun’.The new plant is taller, less decumbent and more upright than Nepeta‘Psfike’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,904 and is shorter than ‘Junior Walker’(not patented) , ‘Blue Dragon’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,334 and ‘Six HillsGiant’ (not patented) and ‘Purple Haze’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,180. Incomparison to ‘Purrsian Blue’ (co-pending application), the new plant‘Cat's Meow’ is slightly taller, slightly more spreading in habit withserrate leaf margins on larger leaves and sky-blue flowers compared tothe serrate leaves with rounded teeth margins and periwinkle blueflowers. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with changes in theenvironment such as light, temperature, water and nutrient availability,etc. without a change in the genotype of the plant. Nepeta ‘Cat's Meow’is unique from all other Catmint known to the inventor in the followingcombined traits:

-   -   1. The habit is low growing, short and compact upright and        slightly decumbent stems.    -   2. Foliage is moderate-sized and serrate.    -   3. Flowers are sky-blue with persistent smoky-purple calyces.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The photographs of the new plant Nepeta ‘Cat's Meow’ are of a two-yearold plant in a full sun display garden in Zeeland, Mich. and demonstratethe special unique aspects of the new plant. The colors are as accurateas reasonably possible with color reproductions. Ambient light spectrum,temperature, source and direction may cause the appearance of minorvariation in color.

FIG. 1 shows a close-up of the flower.

FIG. 2 shows the overall habit of Nepeta ‘Cat's Meow’.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following descriptions are based on a two-year old plant of Nepeta‘Cat's Meow’ grown in a full-sun display garden in sandy loam withsupplemental water and fertilizer as needed. The color references arebased on the 2001 edition of The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart except where common dictionary terms are used. The new plant hasnot been observed under all possible environments. The phenotype mayvary slightly with different environmental conditions, such astemperature, light, fertility, moisture and maturity levels, but withoutany change in the genotype.

-   Parentage: ‘Walker's Low’ (female, seed); male (pollen) parent    unknown.-   Plant habit: Herbaceous perennial; upright mound with side stems    becoming decumbent, to about 45 cm tall and 65 cm wide at the base    in flower.-   Growth: Rapid; finishing in a standard #1-15 cm container in about    12 to 15 weeks from rooted plug; time to initiate roots at 23° C.    about one week.-   Root: Fine, freely branching; color nearest RHS 158D depending on    soil type and nutrient content.-   Foliage: Opposite, simple, ovate; rugose on abaxial and adaxial    surfaces; margins serrate; pubescent on abaxial and adaxial    surfaces; apex acute; base rounded; blade size about 18.0 mm long    and 9.0 mm wide.-   Venation: Longitudinal; impressed on adaxial surface and ribbed on    abaxial surface.-   Vein color: Darker than RHS 139A on adaxial surface and between RHS    138B and RBS 138C on abaxial surface.-   Leaf color: Adaxial surface nearest RHS 139A, abaxial surface    between RHS N138C and RHS 137A; distal leaves in heavy sun may    develop thin line of tinting of between RHS N187A and RHS N186C    along a 0.5 mm edge.-   Petiole: Pubescent adaxial and abaxial; slightly flattened top to    bottom; about 3.5 mm long and 2.0 mm diameter in basal region of    stem becoming sessile in distal region.-   Petiole color: Abaxial center nearest RHS 138C and margins between    RHS 137C and RHS N138C; adaxial center between RHS 145A and RHS 145B    and margins between RHS 137C and RHS N138C.-   Stem: Pubescent, quadangular, about 7.0 mm across at base and 3.0 mm    at just below lowest flowers; internodes average about 3.2 cm apart    with greatest distance in the middle of the stem; about 14 nodes per    stem.-   Stem color: Between RHS N138B and RHS N138A; node color normally    same as surrounding stem.-   Inflorescence: Cymosely clustered with many flowers either sessile    or branched at verticillasters in the upper nodes; about 10 to 35    flowers per node and about 140 per inflorescence stem or peduncle.-   Peduncle: Main stem mostly vertical to about 45 cm tall with flowers    on the distal 20 cm.-   Pedicel: Sessile.-   Flower bud: Curved clavate; about 8.0 mm long and 4.0 mm wide at the    widest point one day prior to opening; adaxial surface pubescent.-   Flower bud color: Petal portion between RHS 92A and RHS 92B, calyx    portion nearest RHS N138A with tinting of between RHS N77A and RHS    77B.-   Flowers: Zygomophic, bilabiate, synsepalous, sympetalous with basal    8.0 to 9.0 mm fused; bisexual or lacking androecium.    -   -   Upper lip.—Pubescent on abaxial surface, glabrous on adaxial            surface; with three lobes, dorsally flattened            perpendicularly to flower axis, about 12.0 mm long, vertical            top lobe rounded with emarginated apex, top lobe about 6.0            mm across at widest portion; two horizontal side lobes            flaring at about 90 degrees from top lobe, horizontal side            lobes are rounded with rounded apices, side lobes about 1.2            mm across and long; adaxial color between RHS 91C and RHS            92C; abaxial color between RHS 91B and RHS 92C.        -   Lower lip.—Consisting of two fused lobes, dorsally flattened            to perpendicular to flower axis; apex crenate with five            rounded teeth, base fused; adaxial color between RHS 91B and            RHS 91C with dark spots less than 0.5 mm diameter and less            in tube throat nearest RHS 95A; abaxial color between RHS            93C and RHS 93B toward distal region and nearest RHS 91B in            basal region.        -   Calyx.—Synsepalous, 5-merous fused into sepal tube in basal            7.0 mm and separated in distal 1.5 mm; sharply acute apex,            base fused; inconspicuously veined at base and more obvious            in distal region; pubescent adaxial, glabrous abaxial;            persistent.        -   Calyx color.—Abaxial in high direct light distally nearest            RHS 185D with darker ribs of RHS 79C and proximally or in            less light nearest RHS 148D; adaxial color lighter than RHS            N146D at base and tinting of nearest RHS N186C increasing            with more direct sun.        -   Gynoecium.—Single compound ovary with two carpels, single            gynobasic style, and stigma split in two parts; style about            9.0 mm long and 1.0 mm diameter, Style color nearest RHS            N89D; Stigma split in last 2.0 mm to sharply acute apex,            stigma color nearest RHS 83B.        -   Ovary.—Four-lobed, each lobe ovoid, about 1.0 mm long and            0.5 mm across, ovary color between RHS 145A and RHS N144D.        -   Androecium.—Anthers, filaments and pollen not observed under            some conditions or four stamens that are adnate to the inner            corolla tube.        -   Anthers.—Typically minimally developed when present, ovoid,            about 1.0 mm long and 0.5 mm diameter; no pollen observed;            anther color nearest RHS 146A; Filaments when present about            1.0 mm long and less than 0.5 mm diameter, filament color            whiter than RHS 155D.-   Flowering period: June into October in West Michigan; individual    flowers remain open for up to three days.-   Fragrance: Foliage and stem herbal almost minty fragrance; no    fragrance detected given off by flowers.-   Fruit and seed: Have not yet been observed under present conditions.-   Pest and disease susceptibility: None beyond that which is typical    for Nepeta, but typically not prone to browsing by deer or rodents.

I claim:
 1. The new and distinct hardy perennial Catmint plant, Nepeta‘Cat's Meow’ essentially as herein described and photographed useful forlandscaping as a specimen, en masse, or in a container to bring colorand fragrance to a garden and attract butterflies and hummingbirds.